More information about PEER VII

ACEP has published PEER since 1974 – that’s 5 years before emergency medicine was recognized as a specialty, and 6 years before the first EM certification exam was administered.

Since then, tens of thousands of emergency physicians have relied on PEER for an overall review of the emergency medicine “core content,” for self-assessment to determine areas for additional study, and for preparation for all types of emergency medicine exams – in-training, qualifying, and continuous certification.

Here are some frequently asked – and answered – questions about PEER VII:

"Why has PEER VII already been revised?"
The original PEER VII covered all 79 articles from the first four ABEM LLSA reading lists. Now that ABEM has decided to remove the "link" between these articles and the ConCert exam, less of this content is likely to be tested—and we can put that space in PEER VII to better use! So we're replacing 25 of the questions and answer explanations with more general "core content" information.

"What if I just want the new questions?"

If you're in our database of PEER VII purchasers, we'll be happy to send you the new questions and answer explanations. E-mail us at ACEPBookstore@acep.org.

“How different is PEER VII from PEER VI?”

• All 410 of the questions and answer explanations are new. The topics are still taken directly from “the EM Model,” but there are no exact repeats from previous PEER editions.
• Journal articles, textbooks, and clinical policies are used to support the answer explanations, making the PEER VII Bibliography the most extensive of any PEER edition. This includes the current versions of Tintinalli, Rosen’s, Harwood-Nuss’, Roberts and Hedges, Goldfrank’s, Harrison’s, and Braunwald’s.
• More CME credit! PEER VII has been designated for 50 CME credits – that’s 30 more than PEER VI!
• More visual stimuli, too – the x-rays, photos, ECGs, and other images are all new, and there are more than ever before.
• We added practice answer sheets to the Questions book – now you can do a closed-book “pretest” to establish your baseline score before reading and studying the answer explanations. You can pretest by EM Model category, or in random order, or both.
• Finally … When you complete PEER VII as described in “Method of Participation” and send your completed Scantron answer sheet to ACEP, we’ll send you an official CME certificate along with a detailed analysis of your performance – your overall score plus your score in each of the 20 EM Model categories.

“How many CME credits does PEER VII have?”

• PEER VII has been designated for 50 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™ and 50 ACEP Category I CME credits. This significant increase more accurately reflects the time and effort you’ll put into your self-assessment and study program.
• It’s also enough CME credit to satisfy the annual general CME requirement for licensure in all 50 states.
• Application has been made to the American Osteopathic Association for AOA Category 1-B credit.

“How long do I have to turn in my Scantron for CME credit?”

The CME credit for PEER VII has been approved through October 14, 2009. As long as ACEP receives your completed Scantron answer sheet by that date, you’ll be able to receive a CME certificate.

“Is there a separate charge for the CME?”

No. In keeping with the long-standing tradition of PEER, the CME credit is included in the purchase price.

“Does PEER VII include a CD?”

Not yet. We’re starting to work on the CD-ROM version now and project that it will be available in September 2007.

Continuing Medical Education Credit Information

Release date: October 15, 2006

Expiration date: October 15, 2009

Learner Objectives

On completion of PEER VII, you should be able to:

• Describe typical and atypical presentations of the conditions listed in “The Model of the Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine.”
• List the differential diagnoses for these conditions and develop appropriate plans for diagnostic testing, treatment, and disposition.
• Explain key procedures and skills that are used in the treatment of emergency department patients.
• Discuss a variety of administrative issues related to the practice of emergency medicine.
• Assess your cognitive expertise related to the topics listed in “The Model of the Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine” and address areas that require additional study.
• Demonstrate that expertise by successful performance on a knowledge-based examination of the emergency medicine core content.

Designation Statement

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

ACEP designates PEER VII for a maximum of 50 AMA PRA Category 1 credits^TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Approved by ACEP for 50 ACEP Category I credits. Application has been made to the American Osteopathic Association for AOA Category 1-B credit.

PEER VII Editorial Board

Why do emergency physicians need PEER VII?

Emergency medicine is a patient-driven “24/7” specialty practiced in small, rural hospitals, community and suburban medical centers, large, urban, university-based tertiary care centers, and other facilities to which patients present for emergency medical care. The emergency medicine “body of knowledge” crosses all other specialties, and the patients come from all age groups and socioeconomic backgrounds, presenting with conditions that range from primary care to life threatening. For these reasons, emergency physicians must be prepared to care for patients of any age at any time with any condition at any acuity. Continuing medical education (CME) helps ensure that emergency physicians are knowledgeable and skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of essentially any emergency medical condition. Additionally, all emergency physicians who are certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) must participate in the Emergency Medicine Continuous Certification program to maintain their certification. One component of this program is the continuous certification examination (“ConCert exam”), which most ABEM diplomates take in the tenth year of their certification cycles. Although emergency physicians typically complete enough CME programs every year to meet their state licensure requirements and stay up-to-date on information they need to provide quality patient care, most accelerate their study programs to prepare for the ConCert exam. These study programs, ideally, would provide an overall review of the emergency medicine body of knowledge and a mechanism for self-assessment that identifies areas of weakness for additional study.

How does PEER VII meet this need?

PEER VII is designed to establish a “baseline” score using a pretest, to provide materials for study, and to improve cognitive expertise as evidenced by post-test scores. It is a self-contained, portable CME program that can be completed as designed in about 50 hours. It is two books—Questions and Answers. Each question is designed to assess emergency physicians’ cognitive expertise related to a topic from “The Model of the Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine” (the “EM Model”). The number of PEER VII questions per EM Model category (eg, Cardiovascular, Trauma, Procedures and Skills, and so on) reflects the “weight” each category is assigned within the EM Model. So for example, Cardiovascular Disorders, with a weight of 10% within the EM Model, comprises 41 of the 410 questions in PEER VII. A category with a smaller weight, such as Cutaneous Disorders, comprises fewer questions. All 410 PEER VII questions are answered in the Answers book. Each answer has an explanation of the correct answer—and the incorrect answers—and provides additional information related to the topic. The answer explanations are drawn from major emergency medicine textbooks, key journal articles, and other selected readings. And because PEER VII was developed in accordance with the guidelines of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, physicians who complete it as designed can receive CME certificates for Category 1 credit.

Who should use PEER VII?

PEER VII is designed for all emergency physicians at any time of their careers, whether for overall content review and self-assessment or to prepare for the ConCert exam. It is also of value to emergency medicine residents, especially as they prepare for the annual in-training examination and the board certification qualifying examination. However, all health care professionals who care for patients in emergency departments will benefit from reading and studying PEER VII because it reflects the “core content” of emergency medicine.